When the moment finally arrived, after multiple knee surgeries and one grueling rehab, Lonzo Ball raised his right arm and blew a kiss to the cheering crowd.
Fans rose to their feet as the announcement echoed through the arena: "Checking in for the Chicago Bulls! No. 2! Lonzo Ball!"
It was a moment nearly three years in the making.
Ball made his long-awaited return, scoring 10 points in 15 minutes in the Bulls' 125-123 preseason victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The point guard also had an assist, a steal and a block in his first appearance since Jan. 14, 2022.
"It felt a lot better playing than watching, I'll say that much," he said. "I can't even really put into words how I felt out there."
Ball, who turns 27 on Oct. 27, underwent a cartilage and meniscus transplant in his left knee last year after several procedures failed to fix his injury. He thought he "was moving great" and the knee gave him no trouble "at all."
Ball got a rousing ovation when he subbed in for Josh Giddey following a timeout midway through the first quarter. It didn't take Ball long to make an impact. He nailed an open 3-pointer from the left corner off a feed from a driving Nikola Vucevic with 5:25 left in the period, drawing another big roar from the crowd.
"Just blessed, man," Ball said. "There were a lot of people that helped me get here, not just myself. Just to see the crowd and all the love I get from the city, man, you cannot replicate that in any type of way. And it's real."
Several players expressed their support and respect for Ball in the team's postgame meeting. Coby White presented the game ball and LaVine handed Ball a jersey that appeared to be signed by the team.
The Bulls have one more exhibition against
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Nikola Vucevic
Josh Giddey